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Organic Matter isn’t Rubbish

Despite the fact that as a society we deal with trash daily and throughout each day, we don’t always stop to think about what we’re tossing and why we’re tossing it; we just know that it needs to leave permanently because there are other things for us to think about, and well, the end destination of an onion peel, potato chip bag or aluminum can isn’t one of them. But, as designers of Rubbish Renewed and citizens of this planet, the ignorance is waning and the questions are forming into, “Well, what CAN I do with this onion peel, potato chip bag or aluminum can?”

I’m know you’re familiar with the trash can and the recycling bin, but are you familiar with composting? The concept of composting is quite simple: take a variety of organic matter (kitchen scraps, yard clippings, leaves, etc.), pile it in a bin (outdoor or indoor worm bin) and let it decompose into a nutrient dense soil additive to help plants grow healthier. Not only does composting create a great plant food, it diverts a large amount of garbage from the landfills – win/win!

We are currently meeting and planning the 2016 fashion show, and with that we are making revisions of our guidelines to reflect our mission. We realize that we haven’t yet laid down any guidelines regarding entries made of organic matter. Our 2015 Business Challenge winner was actually a dress made of organic matter – leaves that had fallen off of plants were carefully sculpted into a beautiful silhouette. It was a gorgeous creation! However, what was our first entry made of organic matter will also be our last. The organizers of Rubbish Renewed feel that organic matter isn’t rubbish – organic matter that is compostable should be treated as such. If you’d like to get composting, Deschutes County’s very own RETHINK WASTE has some great ideas and resources to help you compost successfully!

One of the neatest aspects of Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show is the education aspect. It’s so cool that a passion for fashion can open up a conversation that is so much more than a dress and a runway. We hope that you will use Rubbish Renewed as an opportunity to think about your personal trash stream and all the creative ways you can reduce and divert garbage from filling up our landfills.

What aspect of the trash stream has you fired up to learn more about and share with your community?